Blog : Little Lilypad Co

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The Little Lilypad is a lifestyle blog mostly written by a mum to two beautiful, cheeky and entertaining daughters. It is sometimes written by the Man on the Pad or by one of our baby bloggers. Occasionally we accept guest posts too. There is frequently talk of sustainable living, saving money, lifestyle and travel. It is hopefully helpful, sometimes funny and always honest.
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Category: Swimming

  1. Konfidence Baby Swimming Bundle - RRP £50.00

    Posted on

    We may have mentioned our love of baby swimming once or twice and one of the things we love about our swimming lessons, is that Water Babies always choose pools that are a minimum of 30 degrees or more as little ones can feel the cold when swimming and a shivering baby is usually not a happy one.

    So we have always been a huge fan of the Konfidence range of products for baby swimming and beyond and we love that this remains a family business based in the UK. We are therefore thrilled to be able to offer a Baby Bundle worth £50 to our readers. The prize includes:

    Baby Swimming Bundle 2

    • Konfidence’s best-selling Babywarma Wetsuit
    • Konfidence’s one size fits all reusable  AquaNappy
    • Konfidence’s swim school approved Neo Nappy
    • Konfidence’s award winning Roll & Go Changing Mat

     

    The Konfidence Roll & Go Changing Mat is perfect for the poolside and changing room.  It is made from 3mm thick chlorine-resistant neoprene cushioned foam, with an embossed treaded underside, which provides grip so that it won’t slip or slide on wet surfaces.

    Baby Swimming Bundle polka 2015 small

    You have a choice of picking from one of the three colours and all you need to do is enter below:

    (1)

    Good luck!

    a Rafflecopter giveaway

    Terms & Conditions:

    UK Entrants Only.
    The winner will be chosen at random by the random winner generator on Rafflecopter and notified within 5 working days by email
    Konfidence will be responsible entirely for the prize
    By entering this competition, you understand that your details will be retained for future mailings. You can unsubscribe from this mailing list at any time.
    There is no monetary equivalent.
    Little Lilypad Co take no /responsibility for loss or damage in the despatch of prizes
    If the prize is unclaimed within 7 days we reserve the right to redraw the winner.
    End Date 28/02/2015 12am

  2. How do you turn a Water Baby into a Swimming Toddler?

    Posted on

    Swimming lessons have become as much part of our weekly routine, as they have our blog posts but how easy is it really to turn a water baby into a confident swimming toddler?

    You know already that we love our Water Babies lessons and the Water Babies toddler programme can take you and your baby right through until they are 4 years old. This term we are working to help the little ones develop a flat, streamlined body position, coordinated legs and arms and aquatic breathing. (easy right?).

    Aquatic breathing is something that even the tween struggles with at times but somehow it seems easier for the toddler, although I suspect this has more to do with her love of blowing raspberries in the water ..... which is a step up from trying to drink it at least. Blowing bubbles into the water is fun as far as she is concerned but at this stage, she is not conscious that she is learning the skill, merely enjoying doing something she is not normally allowed to do.

    Water Babies Toddler 3

    The woggle and float play a big part in our swimming lessons now due to the little ones are learning to swim in a flat position as the instinct is still to almost "run" through the water. Interestingly, Water Babies tell us that children lack the strength and co-ordination to swim properly until they’re 3 or 4 as their little bodies just aren’t proportioned for swimming on the surface, so its unreasonable to expect that she will be getting her 25 metre badges any time soon.

    I have been reading a lot about baby and toddler swimming this week and the opinions seem really divided about it. There are lots of forums ( I shan't mention them by name) where mums end up debating the merits (and alleged pitfalls) of baby swimming classes. There are those that adore Water Babies and swimming with their little ones and those that harp on about the cost. I loved one particular womans story who stated that her partner had been put on reduced hours but she was saving money elsewhere to ensure that they could continue with their classes. I think that speaks volumes.

    Cost undoubtedly plays a part in the choices we make for our children, the classes they take, the schools they attend, the clothes they wear but for the safety of my children, I am not sure I can put a price on it. The little one has confidence in the water, she can get in and out of the pool safely herself, she can jump in and come back up to the surface unaided and whether she masters the art of a flat streamlined body now she is 3 or when she is 4, I know I can't put a price on that.

    Water Babies Toddler

    Water Babies Toddler 1

     

    So how do you turn a water baby into a swimming toddler?

    You just keep swimming!

    Have you had experience of baby swimming? What are your thoughts?

     

     

  3. Giraffes can't dance .... or swim!

    Posted on

    This week we read a new book.

    Giraffes cant dance

    Giraffe's can't dance by Giles Andreae (who incidentally also wrote Purple Ronnie) and illustrated by Guy Parker-Rees is a fabulous rhyming tale of Gerald the giraffe, who would sorely love to join in with the other animals at the Jungle Dance, but everyone knows that giraffes can't dance . . . or can they?

    Poor Gerald the giraffe feels very clumsy until he meets a friendly cricket, who teaches him that we may all be different but "Sometimes all we need is a different song to dance to". This is a lovely story that celebrates the richness of differences and the possibilities created by a more personal approach. It also has something valuable to say about the impact of our own expectations of ourselves and others.

    Giraffes have featured heavily in our activities in the last week, as we have also had Jeffery the Giraffe from nursery to entertain. Now I am acutely aware that he is a stuffed animal and he has no clue that he needs entertaining but there is an expectation to complete a diary of his adventures over the week that he is with us. So reading a book about giraffes was fun .... as was taking Jeffery swimming!

    Knowing what works at swimming, is as much as knowing what song to dance to. There is little point forcing the little one to attempt things that she is not ready for but to encourage her to develop the skills she is showing naturally.

    Her confidence, like Gerald's in the book, is really starting to grow and thanks to our amazing Water Babies teachers, she really can swim.

    Graffes dont swim

    Unlike Jeffery .... no amount of swimming lessons are going to help him.

    I just hope that the little one learns the most important lesson, in that even though we may all be different, we all are able to achieve our dreams when we find the 'music that we love!' 

  4. When does the transition happen from baby swimming to just swimming?

    Posted on

    We finished our swiming lessons for the summer holidays last week and we were suitably subdued that we would be missing our Water Babies adventures over the summer but even more so that our swimming teacher was moving on to pastures new. There are some of our Water Babies friends that are not continuing their lessons next term due to circumstances, which meant that there were more goodbyes to be said before the end of term.
     
    It got me thinking about the transition from Water Babies as some of our group are now obviously gaining exceptional water skills, not purely life saving and enjoyment but the ability to swim freely. So when does the transition happen from baby swimming to "just swimming".
     
    I can't imagine putting my youngest into traditional swimming lessons at the present time, in fact I think it would be counter productive to her confidence and development and in talking to Water Babies, they tell me that the transition period is usually around the age of 4 (so we definitely have some time!).
     
    There are lots of things to consider and prepare for in the transition to main stream lessons, even at ages 4 and above, such as; 
     
    • Before hand, take your child to the pool and ensure they can get in and out of the pool on their own
    • Explain to them that you will not be in the pool with them but you will be near by
    • Visit the venue before hand and show child where they will be swimming and where you will be sitting – it may mean you cannot see them swim
    • Help them pack their own swim bag (so they also know everything they need to bring home with them too!)
    • Explain to them that they should wait for you at a set point for collection after their lesson and not go with any one they do not know
    • Buy a swim hat – it is likely they will have to wear one so you might as well try it on before hand (my eldest was not a fan of this when she started her lessons but she just snaps it on her own head now).

     

    I never forget the tears and trantrums that we had with my eldest when she started traditional swimming lessons, so I know that it is important to make the transition from Water Babies to main stream lessons a smooth one. Thankfully it is not something I need to think about for another 12 months or so ...... or maybe it is me that is not ready to make the transition and accept that my water baby is growing up.